


Blood And Tears

by BellaLeigh



Category: Black Jewels - Anne Bishop, The Originals (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:15:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26856550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BellaLeigh/pseuds/BellaLeigh
Summary: When Daemon Sadi accidentally discovers a fourth realm, the SaDiablos find themselves in New Orleans, offering their allegiance to the Mikaelsons in protecting Hope. But, when two very different worlds collide, trust isn't easily earned. The question is, will they have a choice?
Relationships: Hayley Marshall/Elijah Mikaelson, Jaenelle Angelline/Daemon Sadi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Blood And Tears

Daemon Sadi was bored. That was the only logical explanation for what he was doing right now. Standing at one of the Gates semi-randomly lighting candles. It was all Lucivar’s fault, really. If his brother hadn’t shown him the extra candle that had appeared out of nowhere, he wouldn’t be here trying to see if there were other realms somewhere. Granted, if his wife hadn’t gotten snarly and kicked him out of the Hall, he wouldn’t be bored. So, it was also Jaenelle’s fault.

And never mind that Jaenelle had a reason to be snarly and kick him out because he was hovering. That wasn’t really his fault, either. He couldn’t help worrying about her.

But, none of that mattered. Because suddenly the Gate sprung to life. He stared at it. That last combination had actually opened a Gate to… somewhere. There really was a fourth realm. “Mother Night.” He quickly blew out the candles to close the gate, made note of the order he had lit them, and ran out of the room before he was tempted to go through. He doubted there was much that could do much damage to a Black-Jeweled Black Widow, but he still didn’t want to be reckless. He would go through later, when he had someone to watch his back. If he went through that Gate and never came back, his wife would kill him. And if there was anyone that could pull him back from a previously unknown fourth realm to kill him, it was Jaenelle Angelline. She might not still wear the Ebony, but Twilight’s Dawn still had that thread of Black - and she was still Witch.

**~Blood And Tears~**

Saetan stared at his namesake in horror. “You did what?”

“Lucivar noticed that the Gate at the hall suddenly had an extra candle and we got to wondering if there was a reason. So, I got bored and started playing around with the candles and found a fourth realm.”

That shouldn’t have been possible. The fourth realm was accessible only from the Hall in Hell. And yet, somehow, his idiot son had figured out a way there. Honestly, Daemon was as bad as Jaenelle, sometimes. In fact, there shouldn’t even be enough candles to create the proper pattern to get to the fourth realm from Kaeleer. Which, come to think of it, there suddenly being enough candles was what had gotten his sons’ interest to begin with. “Did you go through the Gate?” It was a terrifying thought. No, Morningstar wouldn’t hurt Daemon. He looked enough like a younger version of Saetan that it would be obvious who he was. But, him calling the boy by name would have certainly raised some interesting questions. And that was if he was there, and Daemon didn’t go wandering. Because Saetan couldn’t really put that past him, either. He was a menace. An absolute menace.

“No, I didn’t go through. I am well aware of what you and Jaenelle would have done to me if anything happened to me over there. But, I would like to see what’s over there. When I have somebody to watch my back, that is.”

“If you are about to ask me to be that somebody, the answer is no. And, I’m going to go further. I’m not going to warn your brother that you may be about to ask him. I’m going to warn Jaenelle and Marian that the two of you may be about to try to do something stupid. Jaenelle may not wear the Ebony any more, but Twilight’s Dawn can be used to create quite the puzzling shield.”

Daemon groaned. “You wouldn’t.”

“It isn’t safe, Daemon. There are things on the other side of that Gate that even you or I would be hard-pressed to deal with. I’m not sure if even Jaenelle at her strongest would have been completely safe over there.”

Saetan smiled in satisfaction as that got his son’s attention. “Jaenelle is Witch. She wore the Ebony. They created a new Jewel for her, because the Black wasn’t enough of a reservoir for her. You are telling me that there is something over there that can possibly destroy the single most powerful person to ever walk the realms?”

“That is exactly what I’m telling you. Forget about this, Daemon. And stop playing with the Gates. The next time you get bored, come see me. I’ll find something for you to do.”

“Yes, Sir.” Good, he understood. That wasn’t a request from his father, but an order from the Steward. Jaenelle was the only one who thought that the court had been dissolved. Everyone else knew damn well that the hierarchy still held.

“I’m assuming you wrote down what you did so that you could do it again?” At his son’s nod, he held out his hand. “Hand it over, puppy. I don’t trust you.”

Daemon grumbled, but he did as he was told. “I should go check on Jaenelle. See if she’s done being mad at me for existing.”

“You go do that.”

Saetan watched his son walk out of his office and then looked at the paper in his hand. “Mother Night.” He wasn’t sure. Couldn’t be sure. It could just be that it was a different pattern to travel from Kaeleer than from Hell. But, somehow, he didn’t think that was it. Daemon hadn’t found a fourth realm. He had found a fifth one. “Mother Night.”

**~Blood And Tears~**

An hour later he exited the Winds onto the landing web in front of Tersa’s cottage. He could have gone to Geoffrey. Probably should have gone to Geoffrey. Except, that didn’t feel right. Something was telling him that Tersa would actually know more about what was going on than even Geoffrey would.

She opened the door. “I’ve been expecting you.”

Saetan blinked. Well, it seemed that his feeling was correct. It was Tersa he needed to talk to. “And why have you been expecting me, Tersa?”

“You came about the boy. Because the boy found Earth, and you don’t know what to do about it.”

“Can I come in, Tersa?”

She stepped back. “Yes. We need to talk. We need to talk about the boys. And the Queen. And the Queen to come.”

He had started walking, but at that last line, he felt his knees buckle. “What Queen to come?”

But, Tersa just shook her head. “You’ll know when the time is right. It isn’t time, yet.”

Well, that was as cryptic as always. And not the slightest bit helpful. But, he knew better than to try to get her to tell him more. So, instead, he focused on the rest. “What is Earth?”

She shook her head. “You already know. It is where your friend Morningstar’s subjects come from.”

Mother Night. “What will happen if he were to go through that Gate?”

“He can’t go through, yet. They aren’t ready. The man who currently rules there will be an ally, but he isn’t yet. And he wouldn’t understand.”

“Would Daemon be hurt?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. But, it is foggy. He can’t go, yet. Soon. Soon they will be ready. Soon, the Queen will come home, and those sworn to protect her will be ready. But, not yet.”

He knew her well enough to know that there was no more point in pressing her on this than there was in pressing her on who the Queen was. He instead set about making coffee for both of them. When it was ready, he handed her a cup. “Is there anything else I should know?”

“Not yet. But, you should go. Our son is stubborn. He is your namesake in more than name and Jewels.”

Saetan had to laugh at that. Yes. Out of all of his sons, Daemon was the one most like him. His mirror in more than just appearance. The only one to also wear the Black. And with a personality that left no doubt just who his father was. It was something that had frightened him, at first. And yet, they had another similarity. The one that leashed their tempers. Jaenelle had them both wrapped around her little finger. “Yes. I should go keep both of my sons from doing something stupid. Fear of what his wife will do to him will only leash Daemon’s curiosity for so long. And Lucivar is even worse, sometimes. Damn that Eyrien pride of his.” He finished his coffee and then cleaned up by the simple expedient of vanishing the cups. He would wash them later. He kissed Tersa on the cheek. “You’ll tell me when it’s time?”

“Or the Queen will.”

Mother Night. He sighed and walked outside, then caught the Winds to the Hall.

**~Blood And Tears~**

It was three months after he had discovered that fourth realm when Jaenelle suddenly summoned everyone to the Hall. It didn’t occur to Daemon that it could possibly have anything to do with that. It was the last thing on his mind. He leaned down and kissed his wife. “What seems to be the problem?”

Her response was to glare at him and their father. “When were you two planning on telling me that there were more realms?”

“It didn’t concern you, Jaenelle.” The second the words were out of his father’s mouth, Daemon knew they were the exact wrong thing to say. But, at least that turned Jaenelle’s attention fully on Saetan.

“It didn’t concern me? You are the one who keeps saying that the Dark Court hasn’t really been dissolved. That I am still your Queen. And now you’re sitting here telling me that it didn’t concern me?”

“I may be the steward of the court, but I am also your father. Daemon is your husband. Protecting you is our job. So, we didn’t tell you about there being more realms, because you are as bad as he is, and I didn’t trust you not to try to go through the Gate.”

She smiled, then. But, the smile was feral. It was all Witch. “Well, the time has come. We are all going through. Tomorrow.” She looked at Daemon. “Since you’re the one to find it, you can light the candles. Sleep well, everyone. We have a busy day ahead of us.” And with that, the Queen stood up and walked out of the room.

Daemon turned to look at his father. “Are we really going to allow her to go through that Gate? You mentioned it not being safe for any of us, even her.”

But, it wasn’t his father that answered him. It was his mother. “It is safe. Though we will have to be careful. Earth isn’t just another realm, it is an entirely different world. The rules are different. A lot of things are different. It probably won’t do to leave the building the Gate is in. But, they are going to need our help. They need to know to ask for it, though.”

“You seem to be the one who knows the most about it. What, exactly, are we going to be walking into?”

“A world where the Craft is unheard of. There are three races who live in the shadows, hidden from the rest of the world. Those who can do magic. They have the Craft, but don’t call it that. Those who can turn into animals. Though currently only one has any control over it. And the demon-dead who are not exactly like our demon-dead. Very few who don’t belong to one of those races knows that they exist. They have made up for the lack of Craft with technology.”

“Is that why we shouldn’t leave the building the Gate is in? Because of how different everything is?”

“That, and they wouldn’t understand your brother. None of them have wings. And what they would think he is…”

Saetan nodded. “There is something in their culture that they would think he is. But… their response would be to try to kill him.”

Lucivar’s eyes widened. “Should I be going there at all?”

“Those we will meet tomorrow can be made to understand. If we stay with them, you’ll be okay. But, you especially, can never leave that building.”

“Well, this just keeps getting better and better. I suggest we all get some sleep. It seems we’re going to need to have our wits about us tomorrow.” And with that, Lucivar turned and walked out of the room.

Daemon looked back and forth between his parents. “Tell me the truth. How worried do I need to be?”

“Daemon—”

He cut him off. “No, Father. If it had been before, you could argue with me. But, she doesn’t wear the Ebony, anymore. You and I have already tested each others’ strength. You know where we stand with each other. And there isn’t enough Black in Twilight’s Dawn to compete with you, much less me. As the strongest person in our little adventure party, I need to know the truth. It’s going to fall on me to protect her.”

Saetan sighed. “As your mother said, most of the people there don’t believe in magic. But, since they do have something very similar to Craft, ours should work there.”

“Morningstar would know.”

The look Saetan gave Tersa was full of horror. “You can’t be serious, right now.”

“He is right, Saetan. He needs to be prepared. And not just for this. It’s time.”

Saetan sighed. “Fine. Come with me. There’s somebody you should meet.” He turned and walked out of the room, with Daemon trailing along behind him, both bemused and more than a little concerned.

Once there, Saetan moved the fourth candle off to the side, and set the other three back up into a triangle. At Daemon’s quizzical look, he shrugged. “I don’t know if we can get there from here. So, we’re going to go to Hell, first. I don’t want to start experimenting, right now. Do not leave my side, you hear me?”

Daemon just nodded, and watched his father light the candles and open the Gate. He set a timer spell to blow the candles out, and then followed him through it. He didn’t really have time to look around and see if the room was any different here, because as soon as the Gate was closed, Saetan rearranged the candles to add a fourth one, then lit them.

And they both stepped through.

**~Blood And Tears~**

“Saetan! It’s good to see you, old friend. What can I help you with, today? Has another of my subjects wandered into your realm instead of mine?”

“No, Morningstar. This time, it’s my people who will be traveling to your world. My idiot son managed to find Earth, and his mother and wife have both decided that we are all going there, tomorrow. Tersa was able to tell us some of what we can expect, but also that you would obviously know more about it.”

“Your son?” The man finally seemed to notice him. “Daemon! It’s very good to finally meet you! I have heard a great deal about you, you know.”

“Funny, this is the first I’ve ever heard of you.”

Morningstar shrugged. “Well, my existence and everything I represent would be even harder to explain to you than exactly where you come from would be to explain to one of my people. Your fiction doesn’t tend to run to fantasies about other worlds.”

“I’d ask if that’s supposed to make sense, but considering the day I’m having, I don’t know that I’d like the answer. So, what exactly is my wife dragging us all into?”

“Where to begin? The landens outnumber the Blood exponentially. Most of them don’t even know they exist. The witches and werewolves are hereditary.”

“Werewolves? What’s a werewolf?”

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that those are the people that can turn into animals? Judging by the word ‘wolf’ in the title?”

Morningstar nodded. “Exactly. They were cursed a very long time ago. Once they trigger their curse, every month on the night of the full moon, they turn into wolves. They do not have any control over this. There are a few exceptions. Pregnant women don’t turn. And there is one man. Niklaus Mikaelson. They call him the hybrid. And, he has complete control over his turning. He can turn anytime he chooses. Or turn only part of himself. Or, keep from turning at all.”

Daemon’s head was spinning. And this was only one out of three of the races his mother had mentioned. “Well, that’s great. Are witches like the witches in our world?” Yes, time to focus on something that might be slightly easier to understand.

He shrugged. “Mostly? They don’t have the hierarchy and caste system you have. They don’t have Jewels. They pull their power from within themselves, or from their environment. There are a few groups who practice ancestral magic, where their ancestors don’t either find peace or come here. Instead, they have their own afterlife, where they never really leave the city they were born in. And the living witches of that city draw on their power for their magic.”

Okay, that seemed fairly straightforward. He didn’t really need to know more about that. Probably. Time to focus on the one that actually seemed the most interesting. “My mother also mentioned the demon-dead who aren’t like our demon-dead?”

“They’re called vampires. They are not born that way. Nor are they born with the ability to become that way.” He paused. “Well… there may be one. It’s too soon to know just what that one will become. Even for me. She’s a wild card.” He sighed. “But, that is a story for another time. They were originally created a thousand years ago. The Mikaelson siblings were the first. If someone dies with vampire blood in their system, they become vampires. They get enhanced speed, strength, and senses, and immortality. The trade-off is that they need to drink blood to survive, and the sun becomes deadly to them. Though, there are work arounds. Witches can make them jewelry that will protect them from the sun. Nothing can be done about the blood.”

Okay, that was kind of interesting. Though, talk of people who could turn into animals, and people with some kind of super speed and super strength was a little frightening. At least, when he considered bringing Jaenelle there. “How dangerous will this place be for us? Really? How worried should I be to allow my wife to go there?”

“Your Craft should work there. Including your Jewels. You should be mostly safe. Though, your brother… Your brother could be mistaken for one of _my_ brothers. And that would incite a panic that you would have to see to believe.”

That was actually kind of intriguing. “And why is that?”

Morningstar smirked. And then something shifted. Daemon didn’t know how to explain it. But, suddenly, where there had been a normal-seeming man, there was now a taller, glowing, man-shaped thing. With wings. Not the membranous wings of an Eyrien, but human-sized bird wings. Though, like an Eyrien’s wings they were a third set of limbs set on his back, rather than taking the place of arms as they did on birds. “Explaining exactly what I am would take too long, and there is nothing in your culture to compare me to. But, a very long time ago, your father brought your uncle Andulvar here. Somehow, he was seen by someone still living. And since it was known that my kind used to have wings like mine, when they saw him…” He shrugged. “They assumed that we all somehow lost our feathers in the war. I don’t pretend to understand how their minds work. But, suffice to say that he created a myth about me and my people. The same as your father accidentally gave me one of my nicknames. Then, he returned the favor and named your brother after me.”

Daemon’s head was definitely spinning. There were so many questions he wanted to ask. But, he settled on the least important, simply because that seemed to be the one least likely to give him a headache. “I’m not following that. I don’t have any brothers named Morningstar.”

Morningstar laughed. “Morningstar is my last name. One of a few that I have been known to go by. But, my first name is Lucifer.”

Change the spelling a bit to better fit Eyrien naming tradition, and you get Lucivar. Who had the exact same kind of wings that the people here thought that Morningstar and his brothers had. It was time to go back to the wings, much as he wasn’t sure he really wanted to know. “That’s what my father meant, about there being something in their culture that they would mistake Lucivar for? One of your brothers?” He stopped as the implications of the names hit him. “No. Actually, they wouldn’t. He was named after you. If they saw him, and then heard his name, they would think he was you.”

Morningstar’s eyes widened. “That can never happen. It would be bad enough if they thought there were demons roaming the world. If they thought that I was up there? My return is supposed to signal the end of the world.”

“What, exactly, do they think you are?”

“Evil incarnate.”

“Think Hekatah, but worse. Not just _a_ source of corruption, but _the_ source of corruption. Responsible for every bad thing that happens to them. In truth, it’s far more complicated than that, and he is no worse than I am. But, they wouldn’t understand that. They can’t understand that.”

“Yes. Without me to blame, they would have to take responsibility for themselves. And that is asking for too much. But, while I may have my disagreements with my father, and may never be allowed to go home, again… I’m not as bad as they all think I am. I wanted them to have free will. Being the one to deal with the consequences of that and punish those that deserve it is my punishment for ruining the utopia my father tried to create. I mean, there was more to it than that. But, that was a big part of it. It’s complicated.”

Daemon just nodded. As fascinating as this conversation was, any more talk needed to wait. Because right now, Daemon’s head was already swimming. And he had to be at his best tomorrow. “Right. Well… It was very nice meeting you. But, it seems that I have a very long day ahead of me, tomorrow. And if I’m going to protect my wife and mother, and keep my brother from inciting a panic, I am going to need some sleep.”

“It was very nice to finally meet you, Daemon. I’ll be seeing you.”

Saetan said goodbye to his friend, and then lit the candles to open the Gate and send them home. Once again, making a short pit stop in Hell.

Once they were back in Kaeleer, he sighed. “Get some sleep, puppy. You’re right. We have a very long day ahead of us.”

**~Blood And Tears~**

Daemon looked around the room at his family. Both of his parents, his wife, and his brother. Marian was staying home to take care of Daemonar. So, at least that was two less people he was going to have to worry about. “Are we really going to do this?”

“Light the candles, Daemon.” That wasn’t a request from his wife. It was an order from his Queen.

He sighed. And then he lit the candles and willed the Gate open. And stepped through.

He found himself in a courtyard, next to a fountain, with a pretty brunette woman staring at him.

“Who the fuck are you?” Her eyes widened as the rest of his family stepped through the Gate. It didn’t surprise him when it was Lucivar she stared at the hardest. “Scratch that. What the fuck are you?”

Before they could answer two men walked in and joined the woman in staring. “I do believe that Miss Marshall asked you a question.” The lighter-haired one said.

But, Daemon couldn’t formulate an answer. He was busy trying to process the amount of power these people had. The woman had it, as well, but to a lesser extent. What the two men were giving off was almost like being in a room with his father and his brother.

In more ways than one. Things may be different here. With different hierarchies, and without castes. But, there was no denying that if they were in Kaeleer or Terreille, the two men would both be Warlord Princes. Mother Night.

The other man, the one that hadn’t spoken took a step towards them, and Daemon tensed, instinctively stepping between the strangers and his wife. *Relax, puppy. That one’s already chosen his Queen.*

He turned his attention back to the woman, and then he caught it. The unmistakable psychic scent of a Queen. No. Not just one Queen. Two Queens. She was pregnant. Mother Night.

Jaenelle stepped forward. “My name is Jaenelle Angelline. This is my husband, Daemon Sadi. Our father, Saetan SaDiablo.” Daemon wondered if anyone else caught the looks on the strangers’ faces when she gave that name. “Our brother, Lucivar Yaslana. And Daemon’s mother, Tersa. If she had a last name she has long since forgotten it. May we ask who you are?”

“Elijah Mikaelson, my brother Niklaus, and the mother of Niklaus’s child, Hayley Marshall. Now, might I ask what you’re doing in our home?”

Mikaelson. These were the Mikaelsons. The first of the demon-dead. No, vampires. They were called vampires, here. And Niklaus Mikaelson was somehow also a werewolf. Though, if that was hereditary, why it was only him was an interesting question. “This was just where the Gate brought us. Until yesterday, I had never even heard of this place.”

Niklaus scoffed. “You are not really going to try to say that you’ve never heard of New Orleans, are you?”

“New Orleans? Is that the name of the territory? Or the district?”

“Is it a what, now? What are you going on about?”

“Niklaus, in case Lucivar’s wings didn’t give it away, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that they aren’t exactly human. Though, since neither are we, who are we to judge?”

“And that has what to do with what I asked them?”

**~Blood And Tears~**

Elijah sighed. Okay, he wasn’t sure how he could possibly be so calm under the circumstances. Yes, he was an Original. Yes, he was a thousand years old, immortal, and damn near invulnerable. But, five people had just appeared in his courtyard out of nowhere. And one of them looked an awful lot like illustrations of demons.

Then again, most people would call him a demon. And, so far at least, the newcomers weren’t being threatening. Whatever was going on, they weren’t going to get any answers by being belligerent. “You’ll have to excuse my little brother. Tact and diplomacy are not his strong suits. He’s more the rip your head off first, and question your corpse later kind of person. Usually. New Orleans is the city. Where are you from?”

“We’re from Dhemlan. In Kaeleer. Though, technically we’re all originally from Terreille. Jaenelle is from Chaillot. Mother is from Dhemlan. Father is from Hayll. I grew up in Hayll, but am obviously half-Dhemlan. Lucivar is from Askavi.”

Elijah’s head was spinning. None of those words meant anything to him. He looked at Lucivar, again. No, they wouldn’t, would they? Wherever those places were, they weren’t on Earth. “So, what brings you to Earth?”

Behind him, Hayley gasped, as if she had just now caught the implications.

It was Tersa that stepped forward. “There is trouble coming for you. The little Queen will need all the allies she can get. The Darkness has sent us to offer our allegiance.”

“The Darkness? Well, doesn’t that sound nice and ominous? And, who, exactly, is this little Queen you speak of?”

“Relax, Niklaus. I think the Darkness is essentially their God. And, I would think it would be obvious who the little Queen is, wouldn’t it? Hayley is pregnant with a one of a kind miracle baby, after all. They’re here for the child.”

“Okay, can we back up a minute? I know this is a stupid thing to focus on, but it’s the part that doesn’t make my brain want to curl up in a ball and whimper. So… how do all of you have different last names? And, the way Jaenelle was talking, she made it sound like Saetan is both hers and Daemon’s father. The same with Lucivar being both of their brother.”

Saetan laughed. “I’ll explain. Daemon and Lucivar are both my sons by blood. Tersa is Daemon’s mother. Lucivar is the child of a woman named Luthvian. They ended up being raised without me, because of the scheming of a woman who… the less said about Dorothea SaDiablo, the better.”

“SaDiablo? So… another relative of yours?”

“Her husband is descended from my oldest son. Anyway… Daemon was raised by Dorothea and given a shortened form of her last name to denote his status as not really a part of the family. Lucivar goes by his mother’s last name. I adopted Jaenelle when she was twelve. She kept her original last name for reasons that would take too long to explain. But, she does call me her father, and consider Lucivar to be her brother. She and Daemon have never had familial feelings for each other.”

Elijah couldn’t help but laugh. “I think I understand. Niklaus has an adopted son who has had an on-again, off-again relationship with our sister. Families can be complicated. Especially when you start adding people who aren’t related by blood.”

“Exactly.”

Niklaus clapped his hands together. “I suggest we get back to what brings you all here. You mentioned it having something to do with my daughter?”

Tersa nodded. “She will be powerful. More powerful than you can imagine. She will be for your world what Jaenelle was for ours. And, like Jaenelle, there will be those who want her dead. Whether because of what she is, or because of what she can do. She will need allies, protectors. And, the Darkness sent us here so that when the time comes, when you need us, we will be here.”

Elijah noticed the stunned looks on the men’s faces. Both women knew exactly what they were getting into. The men were clueless. Interesting. “And just who is going to want her dead?”

“You have enemies, Mr. Mikaelson. Some, you know about. Some, you do not. They will be coming for her. Either to hurt you, or out of fear of what she will someday be capable of. Most of them, you’ll be able to take care of on your own. Not all, though. Just know, if you ever need us, we will be here for you. Before we leave, I’ll teach you how to open a Gate. It will take you straight to SaDiablo Hall. You’ll need a drop of the little Queen’s blood to make it work. At least until she gets old enough to be able to just will the Gate open as we can.”

“And, if we were to open this Gate to SaDiablo Hall, what will happen to us?”

“You’ll travel to Kaeleer. And we’ll be there. Ready to help you with anything you may need.”

“It’s going to be a bit hard to get a drop of the baby’s blood, right now.”

“Does her blood not flow through her mother’s veins?”

Elijah laughed. “She has a point, Niklaus. How many times have we used Hayley’s blood to do something that we actually needed the baby’s blood for?”

Hayley shook her head. “So, that’s it, then? These strange people show up, and tell us all of this. And we’re just going to start trusting them? Are you serious, right now?”

Jaenelle smiled. “Nobody is asking for blind trust. Obviously, we’ll need to get to know each other better. Today was just to meet. To let you know that we are there. We’ll be seeing more of each other. But, for now, it is time that we returned to our own world. We’ll be back. Probably in a few days.”

“But, before we go…” Tersa flicked her wrist, and suddenly there was a piece of paper in her hand. She handed it to Elijah. “It’s best if you hold onto this. You’ll want to keep your Queen safe. This way, it will take both of you to open the Gate. You to light the candles, and her blood to make it work. Queens have a tendency to be stubborn and try to do things it would be best if they left alone. They forget that the first rule of Protocol is to protect. Protect her, Elijah. Someday, the fate of your world will depend on the child she’s carrying.”

And then Jaenelle lit the candles, and suddenly there was a shimmering area in the courtyard, roughly shaped like a doorway. “Blow the candles out as soon as we’re all through. We’ll see you in a few days.” And then, they were all gone.

“I’m confused. I am so confused that I don’t even know where to begin.”

“That makes two of us, love.”

Elijah sighed. “Three. But, Hayley brought up a good point. How do we know if we can trust them? How do we even begin to know that?”

“We could go through the Gate. See where they come from.”

“Which could be exactly what they want. Honestly, Klaus. How is it that the master manipulator never thought of that?”

“Though, I am encouraged by the fact that they divided up the ability to get there. They seem determined to see that you are protected. Even from them. I find that very interesting.”

Hayley frowned at that. “I just now caught that. So, the little Queen is the baby. But, when Tersa was talking about you protecting the Queen just now… she meant me? I’m no Queen.”

Niklaus snorted. “Have you really not figured it out, Little Wolf? You are an Alpha. There has never been any doubt of that. You were born to rule. You most definitely are a queen. Perhaps that means something different to them, as well. But, do not doubt for a minute that you are a queen.”

“Great. So, I’m a queen. Not that either of you are about to let me start bossing you around.”

Elijah smirked. “I believe they also said the first rule is to protect. I’m guessing that means even from yourself, if need be.”

And, to that end, he was going to try to figure out a way to get a drop of her blood. He needed to go through that Gate. He needed to find out exactly who and what they were dealing with. He caught Niklaus’s eye, and it was apparent that his brother was thinking the exact same thing.

Though, they couldn’t both go through at once. Not unless they arranged for somebody to look after Hayley. And how to do that without explaining where they were going? The only one he was willing to trust that much was Rebekah. This was going to take some serious thought.

“So, now you’re going to use the protocol of people you just met as a reason to be annoying and over-protective. Perfect. I’m going to my room. That is if that’s allowed, and you don’t want to go check my closet and under my bed for monsters, or something.”

“Hayley—”

She shook her head. “Save it. I’ll see both of you at dinner?” She didn’t wait for an answer before walking out of the room.

It was a few minutes before either of the men spoke. Finally, when he was sure Hayley was out of earshot, Niklaus turned to Elijah. “So, how do we get her blood, and which of us is going through, first?”

“I don’t know about getting her blood, but I’m going through first.”

“And who put you in charge?”

“Tersa did. She specifically told me to protect Hayley. Yes, that was probably directed at both of us, but she mentioned me by name.”

“It’ll be a little hard for you to protect her if you’re trapped in another world, don’t you think?”

“Well, we can argue that point at another time. After all, neither of us is going through without Hayley’s blood. And I highly doubt she’s going to just volunteer it. So, the first order of business is to figure out how to get there at all.”

“Right. Well, since I am the master manipulator, I suppose it’s up to me to come up with a diabolical plan. I should get on that. I’ll see you both at dinner.”

And then he was gone, leaving Elijah to stare at the candles that had apparently appeared out of nowhere. And wonder exactly what he was about to get himself into. 


End file.
